Chapter 1346: Closed-Door Cultivation

Wang Changsheng frowned slightly and asked, "Fellow Daoist Huangfu, are you going to retrieve the treasure now?"

"Of course not. We'll have to wait until your niece cultivates the Ice Wind Flood Dragon to the fourth rank. We can't intervene with that. Without a fourth-rank ice-attribute flood dragon, don't even think about retrieving the treasure."

Huangfu Rui said solemnly, "The Fallen Immortal Ice Plains is one of the seven most dangerous places in the South Sea. Without a guide, even if the Wang family sent all their forces, they might not be able to find the treasure's location." He wasn't particularly worried, as the Murong family had dispatched a large number of elites to search for treasure in the Fallen Immortal Ice Plains, suffering heavy casualties, which ultimately led to their demise.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan considered it briefly and agreed. Retrieving the treasure was an unknown future event, but a marriage alliance would bring significant benefits to the Wang family in the short term.

"It's a deal, Fellow Daoist Huangfu. We will send someone to the Huangfu family to propose marriage. The rest can be handled by the younger generation."

Huangfu Rui smiled broadly and said, "Of course. Let bygones be bygones."

He was referring to the Huangfu family's previous attempt to purchase the Ice Wind Flood Dragon. Since they were now in-laws, that matter was settled.

Wang Changsheng smiled and nodded, saying, "Certainly. Since Fellow Daoist Huangfu has made the rare trip, please stay a few more days."

In a secluded courtyard, Wang Qingshan and Huang Fugui sat together, drinking tea and chatting.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, you traveled a long way to attend my Nascent Soul Ceremony; that's very thoughtful. I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."

Wang Qingshan raised his teacup and toasted Huang Fugui.

Huang Fugui had come uninvited and even gifted a pair of fourth-rank puppet beast arms. As the host, Wang Qingshan naturally had to express his gratitude.

"Heh heh, Fellow Daoist Wang, you're too kind," Huang Fugui chuckled. "We're old acquaintances, and I've been friends with the Azure Lotus Immortals for many years. This is just a small token of my regard; I hope you don't mind."

Huang Fugui grinned. He only had one pair of arms, and they were useless to him if kept in his storage ring. It was better to use them to gain favor, in case he ever needed to ask the Wang family for a favor in the future.

Wang Qingshan smiled faintly. He had never heard Wang Changsheng or Wang Ruyan admit to being close friends with Huang Fugui; at most, they had met a few times. Huang Fugui was famously thick-skinned and liked to claim connections. Wang Qingshan saw through it but didn't expose him.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, you're joking," Wang Changsheng's hearty voice suddenly rang out as he and Wang Ruyan entered. "We are simply delighted that you could attend Qingshan's Nascent Soul Ceremony; gifts are secondary."

"Fellow Daoist Wang, Madame Wang, it's been many years. How have you been lately?"

Huang Fugui's tone was warm, his yellow teeth exposed, making him look a bit shifty.

"We're doing well. Fellow Daoist Huang, I heard you were previously wanted by the Sun Moon Palace. Aren't you afraid they'll come looking for you now that you've returned to the South Sea?" Wang Changsheng asked, somewhat curious, recalling how Huang Fugui had been forced to flee the South Sea and go to the Northern Frontier after being hunted by the Sun Moon Palace back then.

"Heh heh, it's not boasting, but even a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator might not be able to catch me," Huang Fugui said with a confident grin. "I made significant contributions during the war between humans and demons, so the Sun Moon Palace shouldn't bother me."

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan exchanged glances and smiled. They believed Huang Fugui wasn't lying; his escape speed was incredibly fast even when he was a Core Formation cultivator. The cultivation technique he practiced was likely focused on self-preservation, so a high escape speed was understandable.

Since Huang Fugui had already reached the Nascent Soul stage and his escape speed was still very fast, no major power would want to provoke such an enemy. Without conclusive evidence, the Sun Moon Palace likely wouldn't target him either.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, is your trip to the South Sea merely to attend Qingshan's Nascent Soul Ceremony?" Wang Ruyan asked with a smile, as Huang Fugui traveling such a great distance to the South Sea just to congratulate Wang Qingshan seemed unlikely; their relationship hadn't reached that level of intimacy. "If there's anything the Wang family can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask. If it's within our capabilities, we absolutely won't decline."

Huang Fugui gave a sheepish grin and pulled out a set of dilapidated formation flags and a formation disc. The flagpoles of the flags were broken, the banners had several finger-sized holes, and the disc was missing a few small corners. He spoke, "I obtained this from an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling, and I'd like to trade it for a suitable magic treasure, preferably a defensive one."

After he advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, his original magic treasures no longer suited him. Wang Changsheng was an artifact refiner and surely possessed many magic treasures, so Huang Fugui hoped to acquire a defensive one.

Wang Changsheng didn't care about the extent of the formation's damage or whether it could even be repaired. He flipped his palm, and with a flash of yellow light, a palm-sized yellow umbrella appeared in his hand. Its handle was crystal clear, and shimmering light pulsed around it.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, what do you think of this Jade Yellow Umbrella? If you like it, it's yours."

Huang Fugui picked up the small yellow umbrella, holding it admiringly, his eyes filled with joy. As a rogue cultivator, he was not in a position to be picky.

"Excellent! Thank you, Fellow Daoist Wang."

Huang Fugui was extremely satisfied, feeling that his trip had not been in vain.

Over the next few days, Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, and Wang Qingshan were incredibly busy entertaining Nascent Soul cultivators such as Zhou Ningshuang.

Zhou Ningshuang left Qinglian Island after only three days, while Huang Fugui stayed for half a month before departing.

In a secret chamber on Qinglian Peak,

Wang Changsheng gazed at the listless Sea-Quelling Ape, feeling a pang of sympathy.

The Blood Glass Ganoderma had been given to Fairy Ziyue for healing, so the Sea-Quelling Ape had no spiritual medicine for its injuries and had to rely on self-recovery, which naturally meant a slower healing process.

Wang Changsheng took out a green porcelain bottle and poured out two blood-red pills, the size of longans. These were Blood Moon Pills, refined from the essence blood of a thousand-year-old spirit turtle, primarily for replenishing vital energy and blood. Their effect was naturally not comparable to the thousand-year-old Blood Glass Ganoderma, but the Sea-Quelling Ape taking Blood Moon Pills could accelerate its recovery.

It scratched its head, its gaze fixed on the Blood Moon Pills in Wang Changsheng's hand.

Wang Changsheng handed the entire bottle of Blood Moon Pills to the Sea-Quelling Ape, which promptly ate the whole bottle in one go, a look of satisfaction spreading across its face.

"Rest well and recover properly, so you don't suffer any lasting effects."

Wang Changsheng affectionately stroked the Sea-Quelling Ape's head, comforting it.

The Sea-Quelling Ape seemed to understand Wang Changsheng's words, nodded, and then lay down on the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

A large expanse of blue light appeared on its body, enveloping it entirely.

Back in his cultivation chamber, Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged on a futon, resting with his eyes closed.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Wang Changsheng had adjusted his state to optimal. He took out a palm-sized green gourd, struck it with a magical incantation, and a large quantity of white liquid flew out, slowly flowing towards his mouth and nose.

As the white liquid touched his skin, a bone-chilling cold rushed directly to his forehead, then spread throughout his entire body, causing Wang Changsheng to shiver.

He took a deep breath and began to cultivate his internal energy.

A large expanse of white liquid enveloped his body, as if he were being frozen. Muffled cracking sounds of bones emanated from within him.